A camera module for capturing an image is recently being used a lot under the influence of a high degree and automation of vehicle parts. A typical example is front and rear monitoring cameras and a camera module used in a black box, etc.
As an example of this camera module for a vehicle, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-0125570 (Dec. 6, 2006) discloses a camera structure mounted on a vehicle, including a camera unit configured to capture images around a vehicle and a connector unit connected and fixed to the camera unit and configured to supply a power source and to transmit and receive data.
The camera unit constructed in the prior art document uses a plurality of screws in order to fix a sensor Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on which an image sensor is mounted and a power PCB for supplying a power source to a housing.
If the sensor and the power PCB are combined using the screws as described above, the time taken to perform an assembly process is increased and the optical axis of a lens may be twisted because of rotation moment resulting from force applied to fasten the screws when the optical axis is adjusted.
Furthermore, the area on which the parts of the PCBs are mounted may be limited because screw holes must be formed in each of the PCBs in order to combine the sensor and the power PCB.
Furthermore, additional spacers for spacing must be installed in the sensor and the PCBs because a specific interval needs to be maintained in order to exclude interference between heat-dissipation and mounting devices. Accordingly, ground processing must be additionally performed because the spacers interfere with each of the PCBs.